Providing a seal between adjacent surfaces of an assembly is necessary to prevent a leak when the hardware and its mating part are conducting or containing media. Such seals are typically made of, but not limited to, thermosetting or thermoplastic polymer materials, which are relatively resilient and deformable. The seal is generally annular and has a circular cross-section, but could also include any other engineered shape configured for sealing. The hardware may have a groove in its front face for receiving the seal, or the seal may be overmolded directly onto the hardware. When the hardware is properly connected to its mating part, the seal is compressed by the adjacent face surface of the mating part. A seal may be housed in the hardware for extended periods of time.
The seal assembly may be used in a hostile environment where the seal is subjected to aggressive chemicals, extreme temperatures, and/or high pressure. Such conditions may cause the seal to deteriorate. In addition, the seal may be improperly installed or may be physically damaged which may cause the seal to malfunction.
Seal malfunction can cause both minor and catastrophic equipment failures. Down time, maintenance and repair costs could be minimized by the ability to sense impaired operational performance or impending failure in an elastomeric seal.